1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automated processing station for a rental business. More particularly, the present invention relates to those automated processing stations for allowing a lodger to pick the desired room from those rooms available and receive a key for the picked room after paying the appropriate amount; payment could be made by cash or credit card, or a debit card.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Automated processing stations located on the premises of a place of business allow the user to make transactions without the need of a human attendant or clerk. It is known to provide a station for automated room rental processing, including dispensing of a key for a room.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,876 issued Jun. 21, 1988 to Wilfred R. Couch et. al. discloses an automated processing station for a lodging facility which includes key dispensing and receiving.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,766 issued Jul. 2, 1991 to Dinesh V. Shah discloses an unattended vending machine for renting video cassette tapes and players.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,160 issued Sep. 21, 1993 to Robert G. Zicker discloses a system for supplying a rental service provider such as a hotel or car rental service with advance printed notice of customers who are approaching the hotel or car rental service aboard a shuttle bus from a nearby airport.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.